Most who know me will know that it’s no secret I’m not a huge fan of rap. Let me take a second to say that upon discovery of “The Jokerr”, that flew out the window. I’m a fan of old school hip hop and older rap, so the fact that his beats have an old school vibe to them makes me love it even more. What is pretty surprising is that, most “rappers” are scared to rap about how they truly feel about things. The J to the O shows no fear, no remorse and no mercy in his flows, whether it be calling out other rappers for what they truly are, the government or life in general. You may ask, “Well, how does someone with a name like The Jokerr, go on to be so successful in what he does?” Talent. Pure talent and know-how. This guy directs his own music videos, composes, arranges, produces and distributes his own music, among many other things. One thing that really surprised me is that he can sing almost better than anyone I’ve ever heard. Listen to the album, “Sing, Aithen Sing” and you will see what I’m talking about. The coolest part about all this is that everything he does with his legacy, is based on a fairytale narrative. Badass right? The “Collective Chaos IRC” series of albums is a celebration of all of the best talent that the underground has to offer. Carefully chosen, honed and perfected we see some of the rawest independent rappers out there. But it’s not all about being raw, being violent or being the best. This is a way to show that there are rappers out there who care about more than just the money. On this album you will hear verses that hit on subjects that are anything but typical in this genre. My personal favorite, which The Jokerr just released a video for is called “Till I Fall” and it features Masetti & Dubbs, who share several spots on the album. The deadly combination that is created when these 3 come together is unstoppable. The reason I pull this song as an example is because of the subject matter it contains. This song is about not giving up, not letting the bullsh*t that life throws at you pull you down and giving all you’ve got until your dying day. The chorus goes “If the world just stopped for a minute, would you take a look at your life, stop and wonder if you’re doing it right? ‘Cuz when you look back how you gon’ feel with nothin’ to look at? The envelope I ain’t sealin, I’m tryna push that. And when your time is up, did you just die or give up or did you ride til’ the ridin’ sun? I’m not wastin’ my time in this world, I’m gonna give it my all, with everything I got, ’till I fall” The chorus alone hits hard, but when you really listen to the lyrics, it’s a track that might bring tears to your eyes, but will definitely have you singing along, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. A perfect opening for the album, “Underneath the Ground” is a tribute to the being in the underground music scene. Staying silent until it’s time to throw the sewer grate off and climb up, shocking millions and continually rising to the top. Say what you will, but few mainstream rappers have the courage to represent where they came from and what they truly feel once those checks start coming in. What makes this album even better and, truthfully, almost shocking are the 3 softer tracks: “Then You Will Grow”, which is a track about growing through all the pain that you feel, getting past the criticism and finding yourself a better person for it. “When the Night Comes”, which features Optymus and is one of the more melodic tracks on the album and is about all the reflecting you find yourself doing at night, how ashamed you can feel of yourself and how truly alone you can feel. When the morning comes, you’re thankful that you have another day and you keep living life how you see fit, which isn’t always the best, but it’s what you do. The next track, is a beautiful track about letting love go, which can be one of the hardest things you can do. It’s titled just that, “Letting Love Go” and it’s another one that will have you thinking and might have you shedding a few tears. The final track “Where I’m Supposed to Be” is the perfect closer for the album and is a track about searching within yourself and finding who you truly are, embracing it and being you. We don’t know where we’re supposed to be because no one knows how life goes except the One above, but we try to live life to the best of our ability and you should always remain true to who you are. Listen to the lyrics and immerse yourself into the messages that some of these songs have to offer, if ever you thought rap has no meaning, you will question all you knew about the genre after listening to some of these songs. I thorougly enjoyed every track on the album and, if you’re a fan of rap, I believe you will as well…even if you aren’t, as I’m not, you might change your mind when introduced to this album. Whatever the case may be, I recommend going to pick up your copy of “Collective Chaos IRC, Vol. 1” now and judge for yourself, even if you don’t enjoy it, you won’t be able to deny that the man knows what he’s doing and knows talent when he hears it!